Peking University, Apr. 25, 2012: A research team led by Professor Lu Lin, dean of National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University (PKU), has recently discovered a memory retrieval-extinction procedure to prevent drug craving and relapse. Their findings were published on Science Vol.336 (#6078) on April 13, 2012.

According to Lu, drug addiction, such as cocaine and heroin, has become a serious social and public health problem. It is hard to eradicate drug addiction because of psychological dependence. Any cues related, such as the environment or unconditioned stimulus could cause psychological dependence, therefore make the addicts who are under drug treatments start taking drugs again. However, the medicine for treating drug addiction is very limited and has many side effects nowadays. Lu’s team found that the memory retrieval-extinction procedure is a promising nonpharmacological method for decreasing drug craving and relapse during abstinence.

The paper attracted attentions worldwide once published and over 20 media, BBC of UK included, reported their findings. Barry Everitt, a famous neurobiologist at the University of Cambridge, pointed out, “Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these findings is that the effects of a purely behavioral manipulation in rats that in no sense were “addicted” translate so readily to patients who have been addicted to heroin for more than 9 years.”

In the discovery, they described a memory retrieval-extinction procedure that decreased conditioned drug effects and drug seeking in rat models of relapse, and drug craving in abstinent heroin addicts. In rats, daily retrieval of drug-associated memories 10 minutes or 1 hour but not 6 hours before extinction sessions attenuated drug-induced reinstatement, spontaneous recovery, and renewal of conditioned drug effects and drug seeking. In heroin addicts, retrieval of drug-associated memories 10 minutes before extinction sessions attenuated cue-induced heroin craving 1, 30, and 180 days later. The memory retrieval-extinction procedure is a promising nonpharmacological method for decreasing drug craving and relapse during abstinence.

As this method does not apply medicine treatment, so it is possible to avoid the side effects, therefore providing a new pathway for the clinical therapies of drug addiction and related diseases.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Basic Research Program of China.

Written by: Gao Hongfei
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: PKU News (Chinese)